The Old Ways
by UknownHero
Summary: The old ways of hunting has been lost in Remnant. The true meaning of the word 'Hunter' has been corrupted and forgotten. In times where unity is needed, people would turn against each other. It seemed impossible. A world free from corruption, drama, individual success and loneliness couldn't possibly exist, right? Right? Well, in the world of Monster Hunter, you are never alone.
1. Chapter 1: A Huntress Returns

Hey, UknownHero here and Happy New Years! Yeah, I've been thinking about this one for some time and I just really need it out of my head. I've been around FanFiction and for some reason I haven't seen any really good Monster Hunter X RWBY fics, despite being pretty obvious crossover. Plus, I just wondered if RWBY focused less on the drama of high school life and criminal organizations and just focused on the hunting and adventure of the world around them. Also, I'm addicted to Monster Hunter so screw you. Now, disclaimers.

 **This fic will follow the storyline of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and will feature lots and lots of ass kicking (from both sides). I cannot guarantee I will get the character's personalities but I'll do my best. It will contain blood and violence but not necessarily lots of it. Also, there will be no pairings as I would rather focus on the friendships rather than the relationships.**

 **Also, there will be puns. Lots and lots of cat related puns.**

 **Yang has been informed and you have been warned.**

Enjoy!

New Game… Start!

Chapter 1: A Huntress Returns

Five years. She couldn't believe it. Five years since the Vytal Festival. Five years since she last saw her teammates. Five years since she saw her half-sister injure someone for no apparent reason. Five years… since she left everything she knew. Five years… since she, well…

Five years… since she gave up.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to Emerald Forest, trying to clear her mind of what had happened during the match while slaying Grimm along the way. Why had Yang done it? Just a bout of anger or something more? Well, it didn't matter now. Frankly, she didn't care anymore nowadays. Anyway, while wandering around she had stumbled across some ruins and had found a relatively intact temple. Inside was a mural, the colour faded after thousands, maybe even millions of years, yet untouched by human nor destroyed by Grimm. After all this time, it was still beautiful. From what she could tell, it was about a world full of adventure and heroes. A place where you could only learn through your mistakes, your experience. No school, just lots of preplanning and preparation. It was a world where there was no inequality or crime even, it was either everyone is together or everyone is shattered. It was world… that sadly didn't exist. Being nothing more than a legend carved into the walls.

Well, it _was_ a legend, until Ruby found the key to it.

It wasn't by choice really, since the entrance of the temple collapsed. Tried as she might, she wasn't leaving any time soon. So, the only thing she could do was go deeper into the temple. The deeper she went, the more monsters she saw and the more she found out about the world. From more docile monsters to monsters that would destroy the very ecosystem it lived in. And these people would fight these monsters every day for _fun_ at times or even teach less experienced Hunters. There were even mentions of certain people falling in love with a monster, despite the fact that that they would most likely not reciprocate because… well, they were monsters. Some were tiny, some were the size of skyscrapers, and then there were some who were supposed to be tiny but were the size of sky skyscrapers and monster that were supposed to be skyscrapers but was large enough to be a pet. And twice as tough.

There were also cute little kitties for some reason but didn't think much of it.

Then she stumbled upon a Hunter, passed away long ago, yet their armour and weapon still shining as though it was good as new. From what she could tell, both the armour and the Great Sword used the same materials, though she didn't know where this material had come from though it gave off the feeling it came from a spider. The armour had been dyed fully black, though the gauntlets and leggings were dyed a dark red. By the amount damage it had, Ruby could determine that it had seen many hunts, possibly to the point where it's the main set of the Hunter. The Great Sword however was interesting. It was absurdly sharp but today's standards and was pure black, though she suspected it used to be white. It was also the heaviest weapon she has every tried to lift. Sure, she could actually wield it and even swing it around but it was far too slow and cumbersome to even use against the Grimm. She then found something in the dead Hunter's hand. It was a glowing, golden scale radiating some sort of energy she couldn't describe. You see, the people who once walked the halls of the temple had somehow discovered a…

Okay, this is getting too long for its own good, isn't it?

To make a long story short, Ruby somehow was able to activate the stupid dead people's inter-dimensional portal thing, not knowing it was going to be a one way trip, and ended up running away from the very angry, very aggressive couple of a Rathian and a Rathalos. And a Brachydios for good measure.

To say it wasn't a fun two minutes would be an understatement.

After a group of Hunters were able to capture or slay the wyverns, she just sort of gave up becoming a Huntress. What else could she do? She was poisoned, set on fire, beaten and bruised, set on fire _again_ , covered in slime, exploded by said slime, got poisoned _again_ , and the flung off a cliff all within a span of two minutes. Ruby was surprised she was still standing after that even with her Aura, and was able to fend for herself long enough for the Hunters to find her. So, it was safe to say she changed after that. She remembered the moment as if it only happened yesterday.

(Flashback!)

"Are you okay?" A female Light Bowgunner asked as she walked up to the visibly shaken and tired 15 year old, "Why are you here? The Guild doesn't do five man quests due to it being bad luck and they certainly don't send in surprise reinforcements."

"I-I-I-I don't, I-I don't wanna talk about it." Ruby managed to say, using everything in her power just to stay conscious. The Gunner saw this and quickly went into her pouch and gave Ruby a Mega Potion. Ruby didn't care about the green colour of drink and downed it in one. Suddenly, a surge of energy ran through her body while she had the sudden urge to flex, which she did, "U-Um, what was that?"

"Don't worry about it, you get used to it. Sure, it's annoying but hey, it keeps us on the field and not at Base Camp." The Gunner said with a giggle before noticing Ruby's weapon, "Hm, what weapon is that? A Heavy Bowgun and a Scythe, I'm guessing? I've never seen it before and I'm sure no Smithy has ever produced one. So, what is it made of? What monsters did you have to hunt just to get the base components?"

"I-I-I actually m-made it myself. I d-d-didn't hunt anything, I just bought the materials." Ruby said as she gave Crescent Rose to the Gunner, "I'm actually a-a-a Sm-Sm-Smithy… I guess."

"Then why are you here and not in the village? Didn't you know these monsters were in the area? You're lucky we came or else you wouldn't be standing here right now." The Gunner scolded,

"I ac-a-actually wanna-" Ruby cut herself off, remembering how much fun she had for the past hour, "I _used to_ want to become a Huntress. Now I just wanna go home."

"Where are you from then?" Ruby winced at the question. Sensing that Ruby's home was a sensitive topic, the Gunner somewhat awkwardly pulled Ruby into a hug. Feeling the hug, Ruby just let loose all the emotions that she didn't know had built up inside her and cried into the shoulder of the Gunner, the situation and everything that had been happening previously now taking its toll on her,

"Hey, is she going to be alright?" A male Long Sword Blademaster asked as he walked up to the two. The Gunner rubbed Ruby's back before looking at her fellow Hunter,

"Inform the Guild we're bringing back a plus one. And it's not a monster."

(Flashback End!)

After that, she went travelling around the world for a year doing odd jobs and avoiding anything that needed a Hunter to perform. Eventually, she settled down in Moga Village and became the Village Smithy for about 2 years. It was a nice place and it was nice to have a home after so long, even though near constant earthquakes threatened to destroy the village and was most likely never going to be stopped. Now, Ruby actually thought about picking Crescent Rose back up and hunting down whatever was causing the earthquakes but she was still suffering from trauma of getting gangbanged by three wyverns and having duties in the village caused her to stay back and just hope Guild would send someone to help them evacuate or something.

That was until _he_ came. The Savior of Moga Village.

She still couldn't believe it. One day she was making his first set of Jaggi Armour and a new Gunlance to getting her hands on some of the rarest materials in the world and restoring an ancient weapon back to its former glory and then some. And that wasn't even the half of it. She was cheering him on (in spirit) when he faced the Lagiacrus, which people thought was the cause of the earthquakes, and then getting rid of the one that _really_ caused the earthquakes, the great Ceadeus, everyone, including herself, actively defying the Guild's orders to evacuate because everyone trusted him that much. It was amazing really seeing the guy haul his spoils to Ruby, just so he'd get better armour to fight bigger and tougher monsters and help even more people. Ruby was sure that the guy who used to wet his Leather Armour at the sight of a Qurupeco would be spoken about forever.

And that's what got her fire back.

So after dusting off Crescent Rose, gathering all the necessary supplies she needed for the road and letting another take over as the village Smithy, she said her goodbyes and for the next 2 years would try and become a Hunter, inspired by the actions of the Savior of Moga Village. So far, she hadn't had much luck since no one really needed Hunters right now but she heard that there was a place that would allow her to register and have some easy, 1 Star Quests she could do so she could build up some decent income and get back into the game. So, here she was. 20 years old with nothing but Crescent Rose and the clothes on her back on a sandship to Val Habar. She had to note how much she had changed over the years. She was surprised she could still fit into her old battle outfit, but had to make some modifications just so they were more comfortable. She had tied up hair into a pony since it reached her elbows, cut off the sleeves off showing off the tattoo of her symbol on her shoulder she had gotten on her travels and took out the bullets that were on the outfit. Her stockings also had holes in it due to bugs eating it while she was away doing her Smithy duties. Speaking of which, her days as a Smithy had kept her figure despite basically doing nothing on her off days. She was just rusty and only needed some time to retrain herself with Crescent Rose. Ruby snapped out of her thoughts when she heard knocking at the door.

"Hey! Wake up, we're arriving soon so start preparing!" Some guy called out from the other side of the door. Ruby took in a deep breath as she grabbed Crescent Rose and put her on her belt,

"Okay, Ruby. Showtime." She whispered to herself before stepping outside. The heat was automatically apparent but the wind blowing was counteracting the heat and cooling those who were working on the ship. Though, it would be nice if there were Cool Drinks on the ship. She noted the weapons on the ship, though wasn't expecting there was going to be much action today. Now, although she has been living here for five years, she hadn't read up on the monsters and their habitats and couldn't afford to spend her money on getting information on the monsters. Anyway, it was better if she learned about the monsters herself. She saw there was an old man staring out into the vast Great Desert on the bow of the ship. She had met the guy when she got on the ship and he seemed like a nice guy, even though he was pretty drunk when she met him.

"It won't be long, Hunter! If the Val Habar pub poured our drinks now, we could reach 'em afore they went flat." The man said without looking at Ruby,

"Um, it's Ruby. And I don't drink." Ruby pointed out,

"Either way, ya want to come over and see for yerself?" Ruby nodded as she went up the steps and joined the old man in staring into the endless sea of sand, "Just a bit more and ya can spot Val Habar on the horizon…" Ruby shielded her eyes from the sun and saw the city way out into the distance. It was still pretty far way but they would probably arrive by the end of the day by the speed they were going, "I can smell the city from here! Or maybe I've got somethin' stuck in my moustache again?" The man gave a hearty laugh while Ruby just nervously chuckled, not really sure what to do. The man nudged Ruby as he continued, "Are ya excited, Hunter? A bustlin' bazaar floatin' on a sea of sand. Ain't nothing or nobody ya can't find there." He then looked up into the cloudless blue sky, "This here's what I love about bein' the Caravaneer – leadin' a big ol' caravan of trusted companions all over the world…"

"Must be really something, huh. And it's Ruby Mister… Caravaneer." Ruby said, deciding to call the guy that until he told her his real name,

"Aye." The Caravaneer replied with a nod, "Though, the 'trusted companions' part is a work in progress." Ruby sweatdropped at the statement, "In fact, that what brings me to Val Habar. I'm lookin' to recruit three more companions to join me on my travels. Whatever you're in the market for, be it good folk, good deals, or good intel, Val Habar is _the_ place. And the barkeeps don't water down the drinks. Well, not as much as other towns…" He had the vibe of being rather similar to Uncle Qrow to Ruby. An alcoholic but a great guy to know… once you get to know him. Anyway, the Caravaneer cleared his throat, "But no time for that this trip – I've got companions to rustle up! I won't settle for sots or layabouts. A Caravaneer puts his hopes and dreams in his comrades' hands, ya know?" He then turned to Ruby, "So what about you, Hunter? What's your business in Val Habar?"

"Um, it's Ruby not Hunter, and I'm trying to get back into hunting… even though I wasn't a real Hunter to begin with." Ruby answered, "I have a Hunting License but no one's hiring me and I'm not even an official Hunter yet."

"I see, that's right, they do have a Gathering Hall in Val Habar. And no shortage of Hunters seeking Quests, I hear." The Caravaneer informed,

"That's the plan. And I'm not really worried. Though, I having bad luck recently." Ruby said, 'For the past five years, in fact.' She mentally added,

"Well, don't let that worry ya. I'm sure you'll find good work!" The Caravaneer said before looking up. He was about to continue but he narrowed his eyes when he saw something peculiar, "Have you noticed the Remobra swarm over yonder? Something seems to have them in a fuss." He said as he pointed at the swarm, "Right over there. Maybe ya could see 'em better if you used the +Control Pad to adjust the camera?"

"Wait, what?" Ruby asked, rather confused at what the Caravaneer just said,

"Oops, sorry, just look where I'm pointin'." Ruby was suspicious but didn't make much of a fuss about it. She looked up and studied the swarm above. It looks like they were… flying away from something, she just didn't know what. Suddenly, the ship started to shake as something was coming from beneath them. Then, it revealed itself.

A monster, larger than the ship, jumped from the sea of sand and over the sandship. It was a whale-like dragon that was covered in armour plating. Its body was jagged and sharp, with spine-like protrusions on the forelegs and back. In addition, the monster's face features a single gigantic, knife-like horn that extends several meters from its head.

"That's a big monster…" Ruby muttered as she watched the Elder Dragon jump over the ship and dive into the sea of sand on the other side, "Remnant has nothing on this!" Ruby yelled out as the ship shook again, causing the Caravaneer's hat to fly off his head and onto a cannon. Ruby saw this, but also saw the Elder Dragon coming to ram into the ship. Ruby and the Caravaneer stumbled around as the hat flew off towards the direction of the monster, seemingly lost forever. Ruby didn't really pay that much attention when the giant whale thing came and rammed the ship again. The Caravaneer grabbed onto the railing Ruby quickly pulled out Crescent Rose slammed the blade into the wood of the ship to prevent her from taking a dip into the sea of sand,

"A Dah'ren Mohran!" The Caravaneer shouted out, "I was afraid of that. When ya see a Remobra swarm, ya just know that Elder Dragon can't be far behind."

"Would've been nice if you mentioned that a little earlier." Ruby grumbled as the Dah'ren Mohran backed off, allowing them to right themselves. Ruby sheathed Crescent Rose as she stood up, hoping the lack of maintenance over the years hadn't damaged the blade of her scythe, and stared down the Dah'ren Mohran,

"Did you find your footing?" The Caravaneer asked before realizing something, "Ah, what the… My hat! Jumpin' Jaggi! That's where I keep…"

"I can see it!" Ruby interrupted, "It's on one of the spikes! If it gets close enough I can-"

"Well, no time for that now…" The Caravaneer said, though was clearly disappointed, "Listen up, Hunter! Unless we stop it, that Dah'ren Mohran'll crush Val Habar like a Huskberry." The Caravaneer then started searching the front of the ship, "I'll send out a distress call! Try and buy me some time…"

"I can get it." Ruby said, causing the Caravaneer to stop in his tracks,

"What was that?" He asked,

"I can get it back!" Ruby shouted out as she pulled out Crescent Rose, wincing as she heard noises Crescent Rose shouldn't be able to produce. Nevertheless, the Caravaneer was shocked before smiling at the 20 year old woman,

"Criminy, Hunter, ya got some Duramboros-sized..." The Caravaneer paused as he remembered who he was talking to, "Well, alright then _._ I'd thank ya kindly for it… if you make it back…"

"I'll take that as a challenge." Ruby said as she stared down the monster, "And for the twelfth time today, it's RUBY!"

"What was that? I can't hear ya!" The Caravaneer called out, "You can climb onto that thing's back from it's arm! Wait on deck, and I'll holler when it's safe!"

"You can so hear me!" Ruby shouted out before waiting for the Caravaneer's signal,

"Now! Run up its arm!" The Caravaneer shouted out. Ruby started sprinting at the monster before jumping off the ship and onto the Dah'ren Mohran's arm. She ran up the arm and onto the back of the thing and grabbed the Caravaneer's hat,

"Okay, I got it!" Ruby shouted out as she put the hat on,

"Good on ya, Hunter!" The Caravaneer called out, "But be careful! Looks like it's fixin' to shake ya off – that Mohran ain't no moron! Can ya make it back to the skiff?"

"What?" Ruby said before she felt the Elder Dragon trying to shake her off. She started running but the Mohran started to drift away from the ship. Hoping that her Semblance was working, she sped up before leaping off the Elder Dragon, but it had already drifted far enough away for Ruby not to make the jump. She tried stabbing Crescent Rose into the ship, but the blade had suddenly snapped off, leaving it embedded into the wood while Ruby landed in the sea of sand. She rolled around before she grabbed the rope the Caravaneer had thrown. She quickly put the Sniper Rifle part Crescent Rose on her back and held onto the rope with both hands,

"I got ya, Hunter! Shimmy up that rope to the ship's bilge! Then use the bilge stairs to get back on deck!" The Caravaneer shouted out before he returned to setting up the distress signal. Ruby would've said thanks if there wasn't sand in her mouth. She shimmied up the rope made it back inside the ship, wasting no time in the bilge and went back up to the deck,

"Ugh, I need to repair Crescent Rose in town." Ruby muttered breathlessly as she pulled the blade out of the floor and attached it to her belt while scolding herself for neglecting her weapon,

"Ya made it back! Much obliged, Hunter." The Caravaneer thanked Ruby. Ruby didn't bother correcting him due to being out of breath from the experience, but something in the back of her head wanted to do that again. Maybe skitching behind the ship if she had some free time. But right now she had a city to protect but most of all a monster to fight, "All right, I need ya to buy some time. Showerin' it with cannonballs should give it somethin' to think about." Ruby nodded as she quickly scanned the ship to find the cannonballs, "The cannonballs are at the back of the ship. Load 'em into the cannons and fire it off! Don't worry about lightin' 'em, these cannons automatically fire when loaded!" The Caravaneer then went back to setting up the distress signal, "I'm counting on ya, Hunter!"

"RUBY!" Ruby shouted out before running to the pile of cannonballs. She lifted up one of them and found that they were pretty large and pretty heavy. She didn't think her Semblance was powerful enough counteract the weight so she just used it to run at normal speed. She quickly loaded the cannon, ducked down and covered her ears, protecting her hearing from the massive bang from the cannon. It hit the Elder Dragon but it looked like it didn't notice, probably from the armour. She quickly got another cannonball as the Mohran was about to ram the ship again. Ruby quickly loaded tje cannon and fired it off. This time, the Dah'ren Mohran felt it and stopped the monster in its tracks, "Yeah! Take that, you stupid dumb whale!"

"There ya go! Didn't like that one bit, did he? Har har!" The Caravaneer then gave a hearty laugh, "Keep it busy, just like that." Ruby nodded and started loading more cannonballs into the cannon, but the Dah'ren Mohran had jumped over the ship and landed on the other side, causing the cannonball to land in the desert. Ruby cursed for wasting ammo, "Cripes, that thing can leap! Ya don't see that every day. But this is no time for slack-jawed gapin'. Keep ya eye on the Mohran and conserve the ammo! We don't have a lot!" Ruby nodded and started loading the cannon on the other side. Ruby then heard the Elder Dragon roar and leaped out of the way of spike that was about to land on her. She was safe but she had to drop the cannonball, destroying it in the process,

"Damn it! We're running out of cannonballs." Ruby said as she stood up, "And I don't think shooting it with Crescent Rose is going to do anything." Ruby then called out to the Caravaneer, "Hey, pick up the pace! I'm driving it off but we're running out of ammo here!"

"Good work, Hunter! Just need a little more time…" The Caravaneer replied, "Keep it up!"

"Come on, come on! You can do this!" Ruby said to herself as she started speeding up the process of loading the cannon. She waited this time instead of just constantly loading the cannon and picking her shots, waiting until the Mohran was about to ram the ship to try and conserve ammo, "Bring it on, Mohran!"

"Criminy, it's got a big attack comin'!" The Caravaneer warned Ruby, "Ya better run over to where I am, Hunter! Dash, now!" Ruby didn't have to be told twice as she quickly used her Semblance to quickly move to the front of the ship, freaking out the Caravaneer, "Wow, you're fast."

"Call it a special talent." Ruby replied before seeing the Elder Dragon use its horn to swipe the deck of the ship. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she would've been knocked off the ship she hadn't hurried over to the front of the ship. Ruby got back to work loading the cannon and firing off more cannonballs at the Dah'ren Mohran, which were now starting to break pieces off the armour and revealing the true colour of the monster underneath,

"Great job, Hunter! But we're almost at Val Habar – it's time to pull out all the stops!" The Caravaneer said as he tossed Ruby a pickaxe. It looked old and easy to break so Ruby had no idea where this was going, "Mohrans got sensitive ears – it's how they monitor the surface when they're in the sand. Loud noises give 'em fits. We gotta let it get as close as possible, then ring the Hunting Gong on the ship's deck. That oughta send it reeling." Ruby looked around before finding the Hunting Gong behind her, with an activator button underneath it,

"That would explain the pickaxe." Ruby mumbled to herself,

"Thing is, I need a little more time to get the gong ready." The Caravaneer informed,

"Crap…" Ruby groaned before seeing that Val Habar was approaching quickly, "Well, hurry up! I'm out of ammo and the city's approaching fast!"

"Just wait near the Gong Switch, and when I holler that we're good to go, hit the switch to give that gong what-for!" Ruby nodded headed towards the Gong Switch. She waited at the Mohran dived into the sand before leaping out at them, "Now! Bang the gong!"

"Eat this!" Ruby yelled out before hitting the Gong Switch with all her might, snapping the pickaxe in the process. The Gong let out this piercing loud noise, causing the Mohran to roar in pain before diving back into the sea of sand, "Woo hoo! We did it!"

"It's not over yet!" The Caravaneer called out before loading in a flare into a flare gun and firing it off into the sky.

The Dah'ren Mohran was still heading towards Val Habar and both the ship and the monster were approaching fast. The citizens of the city had now noticed the giant whale heading towards them. People were now starting to find shelter from the impending attack of the town, while those working at the Gathering Hall signaled to the other ships in the Great Desert to start attacking the Elder Dragon. The Mohran rammed into the ship Ruby and the Caravaneer were on. Delex jumped on board and started attacking the crew and the two. Ruby quickly pulled out the Blade of Crescent Rose and slashed at one of the Delex, forcing it off the ship while the Caravaneer kicked another one off. Other ships were now approaching the Elder Dragon, getting ready to unleash everything they had on it. From Hunters returning from Quests to a ship containing the Ace Hunters themselves, all of them were ready to unleash Hell upon the Elder Dragon. Soon, an entire fleet was following the giant monster and started firing Binging Ammo, Ballista Ammo and their cannons in hopes of stopping the monster before it reached the city and destroyed it. As soon as it reached the very edge of the city, it roar out in pain while creating a tsunami of dust before giving one last roar and leaving the city alone, hopefully never to disturb it again.

"Now it's over." The Caravaneer told Ruby as they looked over the city as they arrived, the people cheering for the ones who protected their city from the large threat while noticing someone jumping up from behind them to try and see the view. Ruby smiled at that. Though the fight was great and was the feeling of helping take down a threat much larger than her was exhilarating, without even using Crescent Rose on it even, it reminded her of why she became a Huntress in the first place. To help people, to solve problems only she could solve and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

And no way in hell would she trade the feeling.

The ships had started arriving at the port and people were starting to get off. Ruby, Sniper Rifle on her back, the Blade of Crescent Rose on her belt and the Hat of the Caravaneer on her head, walked over to the Caravaneer, and took off the hat. The Caravaneer looked at Ruby Rose, sending the bird he had away and greeted her. Her only response was to give the man his hat back. He smiled as he pulled out from his hat a beautiful golden scale and held it up, letting the light from the sun reflect on it. He grinned at Ruby and put the scale back into his hat, before they heard something coming from the Gathering Hall.

Ruby looked up at the Gathering Hall and the only thought that was going through her head was that this was going to be a long and tough road ahead, but in the end it was going to be worth it.

After all, she wasn't going to be alone.

Save Game… Quit!

Whew! Done! And only finished at 1:30 in the morning. I was going to release this earlier but I got caught up in something. Anyway, blah blah blah, stuff like that.

UknownHero signing off, my friends!


	2. Chapter 2: The Basics

Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of The Old Ways. Thanks for all the support so far, it's been a great help especially after the Volume 3 finale. I'm still trying to get over it by the way. Anyway, enough of that, time to answer some questions! To Catacus: Well… I'm not sure actually. I'm planning for this to go on for a while, and there is the High Rank Caravan Quests to think about. It's really a coin's flip chance whenever or not Ruby goes back. It has been 5 years since she entered the Monster Hunter world after all. To Shazzellim: Well, I do have special plans for the rest of Team RWBY, don't worry about that. To ultima-owner: Oh, her weapon is gonna be badass… after around 337 hours of grinding and pain. That's my playtime by the way. Anyway, that's it for the reviews. Get your gear because it's hunting time!

Load Game… Start!

Chapter 2: The Basics

Every great Hunter starts out somewhere as the lowest of the low. Men and women who would start out in Leather Armour and their trusty weapon at their side, feeling ready to tackle any challenge that stopped them in their path to become one of the greats. No matter how many times they fell, they would get back up. No matter how big the challenge was, they would face it without fear. And finally, no matter how impossible the challenge may seem, well, there was something every Hunter in the world knew as soon as they fought their first real monster.

There is no such thing as impossible.

Ruby had honestly forgotten about that lesson. But here she was, fresh off the boat and recently registered as an official Hunter and she had already helped drive off an Elder Dragon from destroying a town and saved countless lives. An _Elder Dragon_. A giant creature she thought would take thousands of teams to make it feel pain, and yet she drove it off _by herself_ without even using Crescent Rose. A former Huntress-in-Training, five years out of practice and practically alone in the world, help drive off a monster the size of a skyscraper.

'Yang, eat your heart out.' Ruby thought as she let the memories of Yang taking down the Atlesian Paladin before sighing, 'God, I miss her so much.'

"Greetings, Hunter!" The Caravaneer snapped Ruby out of her thoughts,

"Oh sorry, I kinda spaced out." Ruby apologized, "And it's-"

"Looks like we scraped through with all our limbs! Har!" The Caravaneer said, completely ignoring Ruby's twitching eye, "It's time we introduced ourselves proper, whaddaya say?"

"Oh finally." Ruby sighed in relief, "Hi, my name is Ru-"

"They call me the Caravaneer." The Caravaneer said, "I run the Caravan! Or course, lots of caravans pass through Val Habar…" He muttered under his breath before speaking a bit more clearly, "But mine's the only one worthy of a capital 'C'." He then gave out a hearty laugh,

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Caravaneer." Ruby said through gritted teeth as she held out her hand, "My name is Ruby Rose. For the millionth time today."

"Nice to meet ya too." The Caravaneer said, Ruby's name literally flying over his head, "I got to tell ya, precious few Hunters could hold their own against that monster without preparation. Hoowee!"

"It was nothing." Ruby said as she blushed a little, "Fighting monsters is supposed to be my thing after all."

"Hey, do you have any work lined up?" The Caravaneer asked. Ruby sighed,

"I just checked out the Gathering Hall. The Quests I want are already taken and the ones that are available are out of my rank right now." Ruby explained before sighing again, "There aren't even Gathering Quests open."

"That's good." The Caravaneer said,

"Huh!?" Ruby exclaimed, "How is th-"

" _Because_ ," The Caravaneer said as he held up a finger, "I got a job for you right here in the Capital C Caravan."

"Really? Thank you." Ruby said, "I thought I'd be homeless and-wait. What does your caravan actually _do_?"

"Well, what _I_ do is hunt for treasure. Pure unadulterated excitement!" The Caravaneer answered, "Me and The Man over there are tryin' to discover the meaning of a little doodad in my possession I like to call the Article."

"'The Article'?" Ruby muttered, "Wait, isn't that the gold thingy you keep in your hat?"

"Aye." The Caravaneer confirmed as he pulled it out, "We've travelled the world already, and now we've come to Val Habar in search of three companions to help us." Ruby looked at him with a bit of confusion,

'If the thing in your hat is so important, why did you give up on getting it back so quickly?' Ruby thought as she sweatdropped, "So, if you mind me asking, what are these companions you're looking for?" She asked,

"Well, Companion Number 1: A cook! Can't hunt for treasure and mysteries on an empty stomach… or a sober mind, har!" The Caravaneer answered,

"Now that you've mentioned it, it would be nice to have a decent meal right now." Ruby said as her stomach growled, "I've been living on nothing but Rations for the past few weeks and the ship's food sucks."

"Companion Number 2: A merchant!" The Caravaneer continued, "We need a feller who can get what we need, when we need it, no questions asked."

'Oh thank God…' Ruby thought as she looked at her broken weapon, 'I might be able to repair Crescent Rose. Don't worry, mummy's gonna fix you soon.'

"And finally, Companion Number 3." The Caravaneer said, getting Ruby out of her thoughts, "A Hunter! Travelling the world is dangerous! A Hunter keeps the Caravan safe and sound." The Caravaneer smiled as he looked at Ruby, "And who should I meet on the ferry but YOU! You practically saved the whole dang city! Alone! …Well, with a little help." Ruby blushed again,

"Like I said before, it's supposed to be my thing. That's the job of a Hunter after all." Ruby said with a smirk, "Anyway, it was just by chance I got on the sandship you were on."

"Some might call it chance, but I call it destiny." The Caravaneer said he held out his hand, "So, how about it? You want to join the Capital C?" Ruby didn't even think about it and shook the Caravaneer's hand,

"You just got yourself a Hunter, Mr. Caravaneer." Ruby said with a smile. The Caravaneer smiled back at the Capital C's new Hunter, 'Ruby Rose, the Capital C Hunter. Has a ring to it.' Ruby thought,

"Right! Now we're cookin' with Wyvern fire!" The Caravaneer said, happy that he could cross getting a Hunter off the list, "This calls for a little entrance exam. Just a formality, mind you."

"Please don't be a written exam." Ruby groaned out, "I've been out of school for half a decade and I haven't studied and I really don't wanna be fired before I even start and-"

"It's okay, Hunter!" The Caravaneer laughed out, "I promise, it isn't a written exam. Just a small test to see if you've got what it takes."

"Oh thank God…" Ruby sighed in relief before realizing what the Caravaneer just said, "Hey, wait a minute, my name is-"

"Now, for your first Capital C Challenge, I need you to…" He paused for dramatic effect before he heard his stomach growling, "Ya know what? I'm famished!"

"Me too." Ruby said as her stomach growled again, "Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure there's-"

"Let's do this: Fetch me a Well-Done Steak. Heck, even a Rare Steak will do." The Caravaneer interrupted Ruby,

"Um, okay…" Ruby said, a little confused, "I was just about to go and-"

"Not buy one from a cook." The Caravaneer said, "I mean one fresh from a monster."

"But I'm hungry now…!" Ruby whined, "And I can't cook!"

"It's easy." The Caravaneer reassured the Red Cloaked Hunter, "To make 'em, you'll need to start with Raw Meat and then slooooowly grill it."

"That isn't much to go off of." Ruby mumbled to herself,

"I forget how many O's are there in 'slow', but timing matters! Ya'd better get in the wild and try it!" The Caravaneer then turned and pointed at the woman in green clothing, who was currently drawing in a book. She was sitting near a board which had pieces of paper pinned up on it, "That there is the Quest Counter. Eventually you'll be able to stop by there to undertake a whole slew of meaty Quests! Before you get to the meaty Quests, though, ya have to finish _my_ Quest. As in, a Quest for meat!"

"She looks friendly." Ruby said as she looked at woman sitting near the Quest Counter, "Who is she? I'm guessing she's the Val Habar Sweetheart."

"Not quite. The girl manning –marming?– the counter is the Guildmarm. Think of her as a travelling Guild Sweetheart." The Caravaneer informed her, "She'll point ya in the right direction. She's a peach, she is."

"That's good to know but, um, I can't really do anything right now. I need my weapon fixed." Ruby said as she held up the parts of Crescent Rose,

"Not a problem." The Caravaneer said as he directed Ruby's attention to the large man with a welding mask sitting near a forge, "Over that way is the Smithy. The Man there can take yer materials and forge ya new weapons and armour, and I'm sure he can fix up your scythe. After all, forging is a Hunter must!"

"Thank you." Ruby said as she put away the parts of Crescent Rose, "Have you known this guy for long?"

"' _Long_ '!?" The Caravaneer repeated before chuckling a little, "The Man's been my partner for ages. Ya'd never know he was so dexterous from the look of him. Har!" This caused Ruby to sigh sadly, remembering her partner for the first time in years,

"I wonder what she's doing right now." Ruby muttered to herself before her gaze was directed to the wagon next to the Quest Counter,

"Use the house over there as a prep room." The Caravaneer said,

"Wait, you're giving me a house!?" Ruby exclaimed, "But, we just met a while ago." 'AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T CALLED ME BY MY NAME!' Ruby shouted out in her mind,

"Oh, don't be shy! If you're going to be one of us, ya need your own personal space." The Caravaneer said with a smile. Ruby almost cried. She finally had a bed she could call her own after two years of searching for work,

"Thank you so much." Ruby said, smiling at the Caravaneer, "I don't know how I can repay you."

"You getting my hat from that Dah'ren Mohran is payment enough." The Caravaneer said as he tipped his hat at the new Capital C Hunter, "The Item Box in there is already stocked with a range of weapons. Go ahead and find one that suits ya best while your weapon's being repaired."

"I think I have one in mind." Ruby said, remembering all the weapons she had made for the Savior of Moga Village, though through her travels she did hear that the Guild was developing two new weapons and was eager to try them out since she heard they were available now,

"You can also Save your progress by sleeping in the bed there, too." The Caravaneer continued,

"Well, that's ni-" Ruby paused as she realized what the Caravaneer just said, "Wait, did you-"

"And last, but certainly not least, I'll be here if you ever lose sight of your goal. I'll point ya in the right direction." The Caravaneer interrupted Ruby,

"You are never gonna call me by my name, are you?" Ruby deadpanned, "Or answer why you keep saying strange stuff like that."

"Like what?" The Caravaneer asked,

"Nothing." Ruby sighed in defeat, before perking up,

"Right. I should give you this then." The Caravaneer said as he pulled out something from his bag, "Now take these with ya: some funds to get yourself ready and a bona fide set of Caravan armour." He said as he handed the stuff to Ruby,

"I've already said this a million times but thank you." Ruby said as she pocketed the Zenny and deciding to change into the armour later in private, "I never met someone so generous."

"Well, you're my Kindred Hunter now. It only makes sense. But from now on, everything ya get won't be so easy to obtain." The Caravaneer said, "Now all ya got to do is breeze through a couple of tests and make it official. Good luck! Har har!"

"Har har!" Ruby giggled before going into her house and changing into the Derring Set she was just given. It was a little loose for her size but with some modifications and a red dye job later, she felt ready to tackle the challenge. She quickly searched around in the Item Box and put in her pouch some Potions, some Energy Drinks, Whetstones, a few Bug Nets, two Iron Pickaxes and finally some Paintballs, "I think that's it… oh right!" She quickly dived back into her Item Box and found the weapons the Caravaneer provided her. Now, she thought she had gotten over geeking out over weapons ever since she became the Moga Village Smithy. She was too old for that type of stuff and was surrounded by them daily so she was ready to take her career seriously and pick a practical weapon.

Within a span of twenty seconds, that was thrown out the window as she reverted back to the 15 year girl that drooled at the sight of new weapons.

"Great Sword, Long Sword, Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, Bow…" Ruby said as she hugged all the weapons that were familiar to her before spotting something peculiar, "Huh? What's this…" Ruby reached out for it before quickly jumping away from the giant flying beetle that shot out of the box, "WHOA!" Ruby cried out, "Okay, why is there a bug in my box!?" Ruby shouted out.

The beetle stared at her, as if it was studying her, before it attached itself to her arm, "Uh… nice bug?" Ruby said as she nervously petted the beetle. It seemed to like it as it made a pleasant noise, "Why are you here little guy?" The beetle shifted its head towards the Item Box before flying back in there. Ruby shrugged and followed her new pet there.

Suddenly, the beetle pulled out a staff from the Item Box and placed it on the floor. From what Ruby could tell, it seemed to be made out of bones, "Why did you give me-oh! You must be part of the new weapon I've been hearing about." The beetle nodded, "Oh, I've heard about this. You're a Kinsect, right?" The Kinsect nodded again before placing itself back on Ruby's arm, "So this is one of the new weapons: the Insect Glaive." Ruby muttered as she picked up the staff. She played around with it a little before coming up with her opinion of the weapon,

"Sorry, it's great and all but I don't think I can use it and effectively." Ruby apologized to the Kinsect. It looked sad, but it understood, "But… there's nothing stopping you from coming along with me, isn't there?" The Kinsect was about to answer, before it realized that there really was nothing stopping it, "So, wanna hunt together?" It thought about it before politely shaking its head, "Aw, that's too bad. But you're still gonna be around right?" The Kinsect nodded, "Cool. Now, what should I call you…" Ruby thought about it for a moment before snapping her fingers, "Sora! Do you like that name?" The Kinsect now named Sora nodded, "Thanks for understanding, but I have my sights on another weapon." Ruby said before diving back into her Item Box.

(Some time later)

Ruby walked out of her house after talking to the Felyne Housekeeper with a Bone Axe on her belt, a Hunting Knife attached to her hip and a smile before she went around and talked to the locals. They seemed nice enough and she was able to buy herself a set of Leather Armour from the Val Habar Armoury for when she goes out on Gathering Quests. She could've bought a set of Chainmail Armour but she decided against it. She was just given a set of armour from the Caravaneer, so she may as well use it for at least one Quest. The next person on her list to meet was The Man,

"Ah, you must be the brave one that was on the ship." The Man said as he shook Ruby's hand, "I heard about your feats from the Caravaneer."

"The one and only." Ruby replied, "He really doesn't call anyone by their names, does he?"

"Yeah, he tends to forget the names of others. I think he even forgot his." The Man joked a little, "He and I are old friends."

"I know." Ruby said before stepping back to see The Man's shop, "So, you're the Smithy right?"

"Yes. I forge weapons and armour from monster materials." The Man answered, "Materials are of no use to you on their own, but bring them to me and I'll put my hammer to use… for a price, of course."

"Well, I was a Smithy for a while so I know how these types of things go." Ruby told The Man,

"Really?" The Man asked, pleasantly surprised, "I guess you don't need the use the Help button then."

"Oh God you're doing it too…" Ruby groaned, "Now. Shall we?"

"We shall." Ruby managed to convince The Man to use the left over scraps of material to repair Crescent Rose, though he did recommend Ruby to separate Crescent Rose into a Switch Axe and a Heavy Bowgun since he didn't have the skill or the materials needed to repair her weapon back into its former glory. While this upset Ruby, she knew it was a necessary sacrifice. It was better than having no Crescent Rose anyway. After leaving her weapon to The Man, the last person she wanted to meet was the Guildmarm, who was too busy doodling in her book to notice the Hunter in front of her,

"Hi!" Ruby greeted, snapping the Guildmarm from her drawing and quickly sitting up in a professional posture,

"Hi there. Can I help you?" The Guildmarm asked,

"Hey, um, I'm a new Hunter and I'm looking to join the Cara-"

"Hang on, now…" The Guildmarm mumbled to herself, not paying attention to Ruby, "Did the boss mention a new Hunter? I guess I could go check with him, but that would be awkward, so…" Ruby cleared her throat to get the Guildmarm's attention, "Oh! Sorry! Uh, I mean, *ahem* Yes. I have been expecting you." Ruby sweatdropped at the Guildmarm's attempt to cover up her mistake, "Welcome to the Quest Counter! I am sure we'll get to know each other very well. So let's get down to business, Doodle." The Guildmarm's eyes widened as she realized what she just said, "…Can I call you 'Doodle'?"

"Sure." Ruby said through gritted teeth, "Why not? It's Ruby, by the way."

"…What was that?"

"Nothing." Ruby sighed, "Okay, what Quests can I do?"

"At the moment, I'm afraid I can only offer you Caravan Challenges." The Guildmarm explained, "If you make the grade, though, I can start shoveling out some real Quests your way. Fun times!"

"It's alright. I need some easy Quests anyway." Ruby said as she did some stretches,

"Okay then. Now…" The Guildmarm muttered as she checked the Quest Board, "Let's get right down to those Challenges. Take a look at the 1-Star Quests first. You should see one called 'Steak Your Ground'."

"Oh God…" Ruby groaned. No matter how much she missed Yang, she still hated her stupid puns. She would have a field day if she was here, "So, I have to hunt down a monster, get some Raw Meat and either have cook up a Well-Done Steak or a Rare Steak, right?"

"Yep. Those are the conditions the boss set up." The Guildmarm confirmed before directing Ruby's focus to an archway, "Once you except the Quest, leave through the Quest Gate over there. Happy grilling! Nom nom nom." This reminded Ruby that she was hungry, so she planned on making a Steak for herself while on the field. She accepted the Quest and started making her way to the Quest Gate, before stopping when she saw something very important.

An anthropomorphic cat in what looks to be a Chinese chef's outfit serving a meal to another Hunter.

Ruby's stomach growled as she smelled the wonderful aroma coming from the Open-Air Kitchen. She quickly checked her funds before heading towards the Open-Air Kitchen to grab a bite to eat and meet with the chef. The Felyne saw her approach and quickly greeted her,

"Mi-hao! Welcome to the Open-Air Kitchen. You hungry? Then you came to the right place." The Street Cook said,

"Oh thank God." Ruby said as she took a seat as she looked at the menu. She noted the lack of food items on it, "I'll think I'll have…"

"…Ah! You're the Hunter who drove off that Dah'ren Mohran wearing nothing but your underwear and that red cloak, miao?" The Street Cook interrupted,

"Those were my clothes." Ruby said as she sweatdropped, "But yes, I'm the Hunter that drove off that monster."

"Ha! I knew it. You are _so_ strong." The Street Cook said. Ruby blushed at the praise,

"I keep telling everyone, it's part of the job." Ruby replied, "I'm Ruby Rose."

"I am the Street Cook, this kitchen's owner." The Street Cook introduced himself, "Eat here, and you'll get big bonuses like increased Health and Stamina. So be sure to eat before every hunt. It's common sense, miao." Ruby's stomach growled at that moment. She decided to cut to the chase and order something, only to realize she didn't understand how to order,

"Um… what?"

"Ei? You don't know how to order? Listen, I'll teach you." Ruby blushed again before thanking the Felyne for the instructions, "Step 1! Sit at the table."

"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up…" Ruby chanted as she felt her stomach start eating itself,

"Step 2! Choose two ingredients. Step 3! Choose the way of cooking." The Street Cook finished, "I'll make you a meal with a great taste every time! But…"

"Just let me eat…" Ruby sobbed out, the aroma of food was killing her,

"You can only eat _once_ before every hunt. It's bad to eat too much, miao?" The Street Cook told the impatient and extremely hungry girl, "Well, if you don't understand anything-"

"I understand that I'm slowly dying of starvation." Ruby said, feeling her body grow weaker by the second, before noticing the Voucher in front of her face,

"Here, I'll give you _this_ as a friendship token! Use it anytime." Ruby smiled as she took the Voucher… before immediately turning it in,

"I want my Thorny Meat & Scalefish fried, please." Ruby said. The Street Cook immediately went to work, getting out the Fresh Ingredients and cooked up Ruby's dish. As soon as it was finished, Ruby licked her lips before absolutely destroying her meal in a matter of seconds. She thanked the Street Cook for her delicious meal before feeling the effects of her meal kick in. She flexed her muscles as she felt something kick in. She now felt full of energy and for some reason a bit smarter.

 **Ruby's Stamina increased!  
Ruby's Attack increased!**

 **(Felyne Black Belt activated!)  
(** **Felyne Combiner (Lo) activated!)**

"Okay, let's do this!" Ruby called out as she rushed over to the Quest Gate, ready to fulfill the Caravaneer's request.

(Ancestral Steppe)

Ruby breathed in the fresh air as she arrived at base camp. She felt so excited. She was on her first mission since five years ago and she was ready to explore, gather and hunt in the new area she was sure she would familiarize herself with soon, "Wow…" Ruby said in awe as she looked at the ruins that surrounded the base camp. They looked so similar to the ruins she found when she was 15 but they still so breathtaking to her. The sun was shining, the light glistening off the water and all she could see outside of the base camp was nothing but green plains, where passive monsters were sure to be, "This place is amazing."

"I admire your enthusiasm for my 'Steak Your Ground' Quest, Hunter." The Caravaneer said as he walked up to her. He, The Man and the Guildmarm joined Ruby to oversee how she went with the Quest as well as teach her more basic stuff, "I hope you're ready to cook me up some tasty meat."

"Do your best." The Man spoke up,

"Quiet down, you two. It's _my_ job to explain how Challenge #1 is going to work." The Guildmarm scolded before clearing her throat, "Listen up, Doodle: Your objective here is to deliver either a Rare Steak or a Well-Done Steak."

"Got it." Ruby said as she wrote down the Quest Objective in her personal journal which she had gotten from her travels,

"For that, you're going to need some Raw Meat and a Portable Spit. Now would you be a dear and approach that blue box for me and see what's in there?"

"Okay." Ruby said as she walked up to the blue box. She opened it up and saw there were supplies in there,

"That's the Supply Box. It's full of items that have been provided by the Guild." The Guildmarm informed the Hunter, "Help yourself to as many of them as you want. Heck, take 'em all if you like! But whatever you do, just be sure to grab a Portable Spit and Map, okay? Trust me, you're gonna need them."

"Wow, I'm getting so much free stuff." Ruby muttered to herself as she grabbed everything except the Torch. It was a bright day and a Torch wasn't of much use right now, "Okay, I'm set. What do I do now?"

"Okay, now you need some Raw Meat." The Guildmarm said as she pulled out a book. She quickly flipped through the pages and found what she was looking for, "A lot of Hunters carve their own Raw Meat from these big herbivore monsters called Aptonoth. Right now, you're at base camp. It's great and all, but you aren't gonna find and Aptonoth here! Why don't you check your Map and head to the area marked '1'?" Ruby pulled out the Map and saw that Area 1 was only just outside base camp. She put the Map away and started heading towards Area 1. As soon as she entered the area, she saw cow-like creatures with leathery gray skin grazing on the grass north of her. She looked to her left and saw that there was a huge rock blocking the way to Area 2. She hoped it was removed after she was done with the Quest,

"Aha, Aptonoth! Oh, don't worry, Hunter. They're timid and quite harmless." The Caravaneer informed. Ruby wondered where he was and started looking around for the guy. She was sure he didn't follow her. He should be at base camp right now. She decided it was best to just follow whatever the others say and get the Quest done. She jumped off and few small ledges and made her way towards the monsters as fast as possible. She was about to get out her weapon but one of them spotted her. It let out a cry and before Ruby knew it, they were running away from the area,

"The Aptonoth ran away." The Man stated,

"After 'em, Hunter!" The Caravaneer called out. Ruby nodded and gave chase to the herbivores to the next area. She didn't feel like it was necessary to use her Semblance but as she ran, she realized how out of shape she was,

"Getting *pant* cramps." Ruby panted out. Despite the delicious meal she had earlier, she was already starting to run low on Stamina. When she reached Area 3, she was already tired. She took a sip of her Energy Drink and flexed her muscles as a shot of energy flowed through her body, "Save these for later, Ruby." She mumbled to herself as she put the Energy Drink back into her pouch, "You may never know when you'll need them."

"There. Aptonoth." The Man said, getting Ruby's attention. It looked like they haven't noticed her yet,

"Let's hope ya know how to use that weapon of yours." The Caravaneer said. Ruby only smirked as she equipped the Bone Axe, "Ready to get your hands dirty?"

"I was born ready." Ruby said with a smile before charging at an Aptonoth and sliced its hide with her Switch Axe,

"Har har! That's the spirit!" The Caravaneer laughed out. It cried in pain before Ruby slashed at it again. It was now on the floor, struggling to get up before Ruby switched from Axe Mode to Sword Mode and finished it off. It slowly bled out as it tried to get before it stopped and twitched a little, before it finally expired. Ruby felt bad for killed something that was minding its own business, but she had to get that Raw Meat somehow and it was part of the job. It didn't make her feel better, but rationalizing it was good enough for her, "All right! You good, Hunter?"

"I'm fine." Ruby answered, 'It's just my soul that needs healing…'

"Then put that axe away, because it's time to learn how to carve." Ruby nodded as she put away her weapon and got out her Hunting Knife. The Caravaneer told her which areas of the monster she wanted to carve if she wanted Raw Meat as well as some general tips on carving up monsters. She messed up and ended up only getting Small Monster Bones from the first of many dead Aptonoth and had to kill another one. Ruby tried again and managed to get out a decent chunk of Raw Meat this time, "Well, would you look at that — Raw Meat! Fire up that Portable Spit and let's get cookin' already! Keep an eye on the colour of the meat! Once it's done, take it off the spit. If you have a problem with timing, just whistle out a tune or something."

"Thanks. Okay, don't mess this up." Ruby muttered as she set up the Portable Spit. She placed the Raw Meat on it, lit the fire and started slowly rotating it,

"Kataomoi demo gyokusai de here we go! Utaeba shining after school~" Ruby sang out as she waited for the meat to cook, before she saw it change colours for the second time. She quickly took it off the spit and saw that it was perfectly well-done, "YES! SO TASTY!" She shouted out as she lifted the Well-Done Steak into the air, before awkwardly coughing and putting the Well-Done Steak into her pouch,

"Now that's some nicely cooked steak!" The Guildmarm commented, "All that's left is to head back to base camp and deliver the goods. Remember, you can deliver either Rare Steak or Well-Done Steak. There's no room for picky eaters in the Caravan!"

"You've reminded me three times already. I already know." Ruby said before checking the time, "Meh, I have time." Ruby said before she went around slaying more Aptonoth (while feeling bad about it) and cooking up more Well-Done Steaks for herself while also gathering up some Herbs and various Mushrooms. When she was done, she made her way back to base camp. She noted that the Caravaneer and The Man were gone, and only the Guildmarm was there to greet her,

"Hey, Doodle. See that red box next to the tent?" The Guildmarm asked as Ruby walked up the slope. Ruby looked around and found the box, "That's the Delivery Box. Just put the cooked meat in that and the Quest will be complete!"

"You know, I'd thought this would be a bit more exciting." Ruby admitted before sighing, "But everyone has to start somewhere." Ruby said as she placed a Well-Done Steak into the box. Suddenly, she heard triumphant music playing, making the whole thing seem more heroic and awesome when Ruby put the meat in the box. She was confused, but shrugged and accepted it. She flexed her muscles and started preparing for the trip back to Val Habar. She had to return the Supply Items she didn't use but didn't really mind. As she got on the ride back to Val Habar, she looked back at Ancestral Steppe and smiled.

The next time she would come here, it would be for the blood of monster.

But not before gathering every mineral, berry, plant etc. from the place.

Save Game… Quit!

Whew! Done! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you all soon.

UknownHero signing off, my friends!


End file.
